Limit states of failure in advanced structural materials assessed by means of unconventional test methods

Engineering and physical aspects of critical failure states in advanced materials used in power and chemical industry, for bearings and other structural applications should be investigated. Emphasis will be paid on the acoustic emission technique. Special attention will be also paid to revelation of new knowledge in the two parameter fracture mechanics with respect to the acoustic emission sources. Based on this knowledge two applications of AE on real structures will be investigated (pressure vessels, ceramic bearings). The predominantly experimental investigations will be supported by FEM calculations. The influence of the constraint indexing parameter on AE characteristics and/or other micromechanical features will be determined and the relation to macroscopic fracture characterisctics will be studied. Microstructural reasons of AE signal will be investigated in composite materials (ceramics, duplex steel, laminates and polymers). Attention will be also paid to the contact loading of ce